Dance of Wings (Curse of the Guardians #7)

46. Scarlet

Chapter 46

Scarlet

S carlet gripped her bow, ignoring how anxiety wrapped around her chest, turning her lungs to granite.“You need to get me up there.”

Thea’s eyes widened. “What?”

“There!” Scarlet pointed to the top of the closest skyscraper.

“That’s not how it works! I have to imagine the destination.”

“Thea!”

“Okay, okay.” Thea shook out her hands, taking in a breath before releasing it in one long, slow exhale. “Give me a second.”

“We don’t have time.”

Thea gripped Scar’s arm, looking up towards the building.

Scarlet braced for the drift, pulling her arm free as soon as they’d landed. She didn’t wait, drawing her bow and releasing her last arrow. It soared across the sky, hitting Gideon through the throat.

“We’re too close!” Thea yelled above the wind. “We need to go!”

But she couldn’t drag her eyes away, Lucifer’s mark weakening.

“Scarlet!”

Thea pulled her back just as red lit up the sky, glittering like a million stars against the night. The blast threw her off her feet, ears ringing at what glass remained on the surrounding buildings shattered.

“No, no, no!”

Gideon had exploded, and Lucifer was falling.

“Scarlet!” Thea called after her, but Scar was already running to the edge.

She dived after Lucifer. His eyes were closed, body limp as he tumbled down.

Scarlet stretched out her arm. “Come on!” she screamed. “Lucifer, wake up!”

The ground was coming up fast, his wings gone, shredded.

Her fingers brushed against his arm, the skin smoking. “I’ve got you,” she whispered, catching him.

She began to tumble with him, opening her wings to try and slow their descent. The cage that locked them caught, turning them into a spiral that had her clutching him tighter.

Gritting her teeth she pushed, her wing anchor straining as her flesh tore. The pain was excruciating, her body wanting her to snap them back to her spine. Instead she pushed harder, past the pain of muscles tearing, and bones fracturing. Past the force of gravity, threatening to collapse them entirely.

Scarlet screamed, her wings finally extended. It took everything to position them, her muscles no longer responding. She barely managed to change their angle of descent, aiming for the water of the river rather than concrete.

She’d slowed their fall, the wind not so violent, but Lucifer was still unresponsive.

“I, Scarlet, last of my name and child of Aetherna, summon you, Xahenort!”

She hoped for something, anything.

But there was nothing. No response.

She couldn’t even feel the mark, it was as if it was gone.

“Come on!”

He had no heartbeat, not even a stutter as she made it beat. Pressing her lips to his she breathed for him, her hand sinking against his skin even as they continued to fall.

Her abilities worked by imagining the physical form, repairing cell by cell. But his damage was so extensive, her skills unfamiliar with his anatomy.

Scarlet settled her own pulse, calming her mind.

She could do this.

She made his heart beat.

She made his lungs breathe.

She made his blood rush.

The water came closer, her wings beginning to tear, useless. She didn’t care, curling herself around him as they fell.

Heartbeat. Breath. Blood. Repair.

She searched for that unique warmth that was Lucifer, and still finding nothing. Souls were something she still didn’t understand, her knowledge in the physical. And still she concentrated, closing her eyes to find that single thread. Something, anything that connected her soul to his.

She imagined a light, deep within her chest, pushing out to touch him. Of that warmth spreading until it covered him entirely.

“Please,” she begged, knowing they were seconds from hitting the water.

Daemons survived on souls, and she willingly offered hers.

RILEY

Cool air prickled his skin, the sudden lack of hellfire creating an uncomfortable pressure.

It left devastation, his surroundings charred and broken beyond recognition. Thousands had died, swallowed by Gideon’s need for power.

And Lucifer had sacrificed himself to stop him.

Alice cried silently, her eyes turned to the sky as mournful howls broke through the night. One by one his brothers joined the call, grieving the loss. Even the sky glowed, crackling as if broken.

“Riley!” Alice gasped, hand reaching up. “There!”

Riley followed her line of sight, finding Lucifer and his celestrial falling.

Hope filled his bones, his beast pressing beneath his skin.

Go.

Riley shifted mid-run, allowing the sweet pain of his beast to take over as he raced towards the river.

Faster, his beast snarled, wanting to take over. But Riley forbade it, his paws crushing the wreckage that remained. Pushing his exhausted body further.

As a Guardian, he was taught that all Daemons were enemies. He’d been trained to within an inch of his life, tortured into believing by his father. Years of brainwashing, and yet Lucifer had become an integral part of their family.

Proving everyone deserves a chance, regardless of their past.

Faster!

He unravelled his tails to better steady himself. The central city was in ruins, buildings destroyed and roads collapsed. The heaviest part of the population hit, but they would rebuild. The people are resilient.

‘They’ve just hit north of Southwark!’ Jax snarled telepathically, pushing the image of the bridge.

A brush of white fur and pale eyes. ‘On my way!’ Xander added.

‘Right behind you!’ Axel said, their connection spreading.

One by one the others joined, their beasts able to cover more ground.

The bridge came into view, a hound pacing at the edge as if waiting.

Sythe growled, his black beast stalking from the shadows. ‘Leave it to me.’

Only for Kace to hit the hellhound first, attacking just as viscously as the beast as he would the man. ‘Ri, go get our boy!’

Riley finally came to the water, searching the dark depths for signs of life.

Shifting back into the man, he dived straight in.